St. Nicholas Day is celebrated according to the Julian calendar on December 19. On this occasion, in all churches of the country will be celebrated divine services. St. Nicholas is the guardian of soldiers, travelers, students, sailors and archers.

On the eve of December 19 children receive gifts from St. Nicholas.

St. Nicholas - the Bishop of Myra in Lycia, is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker for the many miracles attributed to his intercession.

He was born in Asia Minor in the late third century to a wealthy Christian family. Since childhood, Nicholas had special piety and compassion to the disadvantaged and poor. As a young man, Nicholas moved to Myra where the bishop ordained him as a priest.

After the death of his parents, Nicholas received an inheritance, which he gave away to the poor. Nicholas dedicated his whole life to acts of charity. It is believed that Nicholas was involved in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325. He died on December 343.

On May 22 Orthodox Christians celebrate the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra to Bari, Italy. A temple to honor St. Nicholas was built there and consecrated by Pope Urban II. 

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas’ life and deeds.

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman’s father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man’s daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry.

This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.

In Moldova, almost 46 000 of men are named Nicolae, and nearly 11 000 of women are named Nicoleta.